


Monsters under the bed

by AtPK



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, eruri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 11:44:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5162642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtPK/pseuds/AtPK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>i-believe-in-dean provided the prompt: 'They're in an orphanage, and smol 6 year old Levi has a nightmare in the middle of the night, so he shuffles with his lil blanket to 8 year-old Erwin's bed for comfort uwu'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Children

Levi crawled to the edge of the bed and peered down over the side at the endless pool of darkness. He clearly remembered what the older boys had said about the monsters that lived under the bed, and the memory made him back away again, bunching his blanket in his hands.

The only light in the dormitory came from the candles set at intervals along the walls, just bright enough for him to see, a few beds down, the shock of blond hair on the pillow. Levi moved forward but this time instead of hesitating to look, he slipping his legs over the edge and slid down to the floor, his feet making a soft thud as he landed. He reached back quickly and grabbed the corner of his blanket, trailing it after him.

Up until a week ago he’d never questioned his place in the world, he’d been safe and loved, but now, for the first time in his short life he was truly alone. Now, the dark was too dark and the quiet was too quiet. Now, the bed was too big and, without his mommy beside him to keep him warm, he was always cold. Now, his nightmares felt very real.

Levi ducked his head and ran the short distance to Erwin’s bed. All he could see of the other boy was the top of his head, his hair, the rest of him was bundled up tight under the blanket. Biting his lip, Levi pulled his own blanket up in front of his chest and then reached up and tugged on the corner of Erwin’s.

Erwin jumped up instantly, his eyes wide and scared, like he’d been awake already and thought maybe Levi was one of the monsters under the bed, come to get him. Levi backed up a step, clutching his blanket tighter against his chest. Erwin stared at him, saw him, blinked and then sat up fully, smiling at him.

“These beds are too big for one person, don’t you think?” He asked Levi expectantly and Levi nodded. “Do you want to come up?” He asked Levi hopefully and Levi nodded again.

Erwin scooted over giving Levi enough space to clamber up and into the warm spot he’d been in mere moments before.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Levi missed his mommy but he didn’t want to say it out loud in case the other boy thought he was a baby, so he didn’t say anything at all.

Erwin tucked him in snug and then lay down beside him.

“When I first got here,” Erwin whispered up to the ceiling. “I, I wasn’t afraid exactly, but, maybe, a little, and the others thought I was weird and creepy, so they were a bit mean, and I,” he turned his head on the pillow to look at Levi. “Have you met Dot yet?” Levi shook his head. “He’s the proprietor here. He’s nice.”

Levi felt warm for the first time in a week, and he quite liked the sound of Erwin’s voice near to his ear.

“Anyway, Dot took me to his office and he sat me down and he told me about the angels. There are three of them. Maria, she has short wavy blonde hair, and Rose, she has lovely long brown hair, and Sina, she has fiery red hair. There’s a painting of them on his wall. And they protect the orphanage and make sure nothing bad happens to us. We’re safe here.”

Levi didn’t think he believed in angels, but the idea of those three beautiful women looking out for him, made him feel a little less afraid.

“You don’t have to be scared anymore; I’ll be your friend.”

Levi didn’t know why but he started to cry again, and he reached out for Erwin’s hand under the cover. Erwin clutched it and held on to it just as tight as Levi did to his.


	2. Adults

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: 'How do you think about writing a second part? When they're older, living together and happily married? And then Levi has a nightmare, clutches his blanket and Erwin's hand, and he reminds him of the three Angels and stuff? And Levi not being scared because Erwin is by his side?'

Erwin still hadn’t come to bed by the time Levi turned down the lantern, and the empty space on his side of the bed looking very large and cold. The rain lashed hard at the window and Levi buried himself deeper under the blanket. The storm had upset a few of the younger children and now that Erwin was the proprietor of the orphanage he had taken it upon himself to check that they were okay.

Levi had stayed with him for a time, watching from the doorway of the dormitory they’d once shared, as Erwin had tucked the children safely into their beds and kissed them goodnight, one by one. Levi’s heart had hurt at the sight of the smile on Erwin’s face, the shine in his eyes speaking to the truth of his happiness. They had gone from having no children, to having all the lost and unwanted children of the world.

Kissing Erwin lightly on the head, he’d left his husband reading a bedtime story, while he himself had gone to check on the older children. In the boys dormitory, Eren and Armin were still up, sitting cross-legged on one of the beds, heads close together, intent to something Armin was reading from a book, his words a faint whisper in the air. Jean was also still awake, but he was toying with an old radio, the parts jumbled on his bed. Connie was stretched out on his back, fast asleep, snoring. Levi’d told them all it was time for lights out and none of them had objected.

In the girls dormitory, Sasha was a bundle of blankets and Mikasa was writing in her journal, she’d requested ten more minutes to finish her log, and he’d left her to it, trusting that she would do as he asked.

They were all good kids.

It was full dark when he startled awake, sitting up and looking around him, unsure at first were he was. As the room began to come into focus, he sighed and slumping back down in the pillows.

It was the same dream he’d had since childhood, flashes of people and things he could never really remember when he was awake; the only thing that clung to him always was the inky black fear, drowning him. Levi pulled the blanket into his chest, trying to ward off the cold.

“Was it another nightmare?” Erwin asked beside him, his words heavy from sleep. Levi turned around to face him. He could just make out the lines of Erwin’s face in the grey half light, but it was his warmth that drew Levi closer to him. Erwin stretched out his arm and Levi snuggled in against his side, his head resting on Erwin’s chest.

“I told the kids about Maria, Rose and Sina.” Erwin murmured. A breath on Levi’s hair. “They seemed happier knowing the angels were there to watch over them.”

Since the first night Erwin had told Levi about the angels, he’d clutched on to them, wanting so hard believe. He’d even snuck into Dot’s office once to peek a look at them. They were beautiful, just as he’d imagined, and Rose even looked a little like his mother. The painting still hung in the office, only now the office belonged to Erwin and himself.

“They’ve always watched out for us,” Levi replied. Even when Erwin had caught tuberculosis and everyone had said he was going to die, the angels had worked their miracle. And when Levi had been chased to the roof by the older boys and had slipped and fell and the doctors had said the internal bleeding was too bad, the angels had worked their miracle. When times got hard, the angels were always there to protect them.

Erwin held him tighter. “Yes.”

The fear drifted away.

“I love you,” Erwin added.

Levi reached for his hand, and laced their fingers together.

“I love you too.”


End file.
